Cres Moment

When Cres Moment just opened in Warisan Square, I wasn't so sure what it was at first. The dimly lit lounge and dark wooden furniture made it seem very exclusive, and I was curious to find out more about the place, but was afraid to go in. Then when one of the staff handed me a flyer, I realised it was a list of spa treatments. Tempting, I thought, but too extravagant! It was not until a couple of weeks ago that I finally decided that since I'm getting married soon, I should be preparing myself for my big day! So when my friend agreed to join me, I made an appointment to have my first treatment package at the Cres Moment spa, which included an orange beads masque, a milk bath and massage.

We arrived slightly earlier, as we were told to arrive half an hour prior to the session, and were told to have a seat at the lounge area. Shortly after, one of our therapists gave us slippers to put on and showed us to our lockers. We were ushered upstairs, and we surveyed the place with a sense of awe and excitement. We were asked to change into disposable underwear and bathrobe and given a private treatment room each. The place was dimly lit with candles and soft calming music in the background. The scent of lemongrass and citrus oils brought me into a dreamy state.

The therapist started out by massaging the orange beads masque on my back, arms, legs and abdomen with gentle but firm strokes and I was surprised that no pain was inflicted while she was squeezing my muscles. While working on one part of the body, she would cover the other parts with towels so I was comfortably warm throughout. After the masque was removed, we were clad in robes and led into separate bathrooms where we were asked to "enjoy your moment" and to inform them when we're ready. I climbed up a wooden platform and stepped into the milk bath and was pleasantly surprised to find a cup of hot chocolate and some local sweets placed beside the tub. The bathroom was small and cosy, and its walls were lined with mirrors. I soaked in the tub letting the lactic acid in the milk soften my skin. When the water started to get cold, I decided it was time to continue with my massage. back in the treatment room, my therapist massaged me again, this time with treatment oils. I fell asleep at one point and woke up only when the therapist told me that it was the end of my treatment.

I stepped out of Cres Moment completely rejuvenated and energized. I really did enjoy my "moment" and I'm sure i'll be back for more. This time I'll take a longer treatment package.

A'kin & Al'chemy Products

I've always been a huge fan of natural botanical based products, but I find that most botanical based products still use a number of toxic preservatives, synthetic fragrances and cheap fillers that may not just irritate our skin, but may be harmful to our health. Recently I stumbled across a line called A'kin & Al'chemy (manufactured by The Purist Company in Sydney) that not only uses all natural ingredients that are compatible with our skin, but are free of objectionable impurities and toxic preservatives. Their products are free from:

parabens
mineral oils
silicones
sulfates
synthetic fragrances
artificial colours
petrochemical cleansers
propylene glycol
phthalates
DEA (MEA, TEA)
ethoxylates

A'kin products that I tested include:
(1) Sandalwood & Neroli Pure Facial Cleansing Gel
Contains Panama Bark, proVitamin B5 and Witch Hazel. It didn't leave a filmy residue after use. My skin didn't feel tight or dry.

(2) Orange Blossom & Chamomile, Refreshing & Soothing Toner
Contains Chamomile Extract, Witch Hazel and proVitamin B5. Contains no alcohol. It didn't irritate or dry out my skin like most toners that I've tried. It calms the skin and removes traces of makeup and cleanser.

(3) White Tea & Aloe Vital Hydration Gel Creme
Contains Aloe Vera, White Tea, Olive Extract,Cornflower, Anthyllis Extract, Vitamin B5 and E. It wasn't greasy and didn't cause my skin to break-out. The only downside was that it didn't control my oil production although it's supposed to have matifying properties.

(4) Sweet Blossom & Jojoba, Pure Essential Lip Balm
Contains Vitamin E, Jojoba Oil, Macadamia Oil, Shea Butter and Certified Organic Rosehip Oil. It helped to soothe my chapped lips but I had to keep reapplying it throughout the day. Pleasant smelling and doesn't taste bitter.

(5) Lavender & Geranium Body Moist
Contains Certified Organic Lavender Oil, Australian Cold Pressed Macadamia Oil, Extract of Avocado and Vitamin B5. Softens the skin, but rather difficult to spread and absorbs slowly into the skin. Its subtle scent calms the senses.

(6) Sandalwood & Sweet Orange Invigorating Body Scrub
Contains Ultra fine diatomaceous earth, Panama Bark, Petitgrain, and Bergamot and orange essential oils. Non-irritating on the skin as the grains are ultra fine, and leaves the skin feeling soft. One of the best scrubs I've used so far.

(7) Aromatherapy Sandalwood Body Wash
Contains Australian Sandalwood essential oil, Cleansers derived from Coconut, 100% plant Glycerin and Ylang Ylang essential oil. This, too is non-drying, non-irritating to the skin and rejuvenates the senses. I wish they had a larger size bottle.

(8) Unscented, Intensive Hand, Nail & Cuticle Treatment
Contains Certified Organic Shea Butter, Australian cold pressed Macadamia Oil, Australian Jojoba Oil, Australian Sandalwood Oil, Olive Squalane. This unscented hand cream isn't greasy and absorbs quickly into your skin.

(9) Rice Aminos & Wheat Protein, Intensive Moisture Shampoo
Contains Rice Aminos, Vitamin E from soybeans, Coconut Glutamate and Panama Bark. It cleanses the hair thouroughly without drying it out. Gives my hair a well-deserved break from chemical treatments. I prefer this to any Schwarzkopf or Wella shampoo I've tried.

(10) Avocado & Calendula Re-Moisturising Conditioner
Contains Certified organic Australian Avocado oil, Calendula extract and Australian Jojoba oil. Spreads easily and doesn't irritate my scalp or neck. hair felt soft after use.

(11) Lavender & Anthyllis, 24 Hour Intensive Moisture Leave-In Conditioner
Contains Anthyllis (flower extract) and Certified organic Lavender essential oil.
Keeps the hair manageable and calms the frizzies the whole day. Can be applied on wet or dry hair and doesn't irritate the scalp.

I've been using these products for a couple of weeks now and so far I'm very happy with the results. I've never felt so refreshed, pampered and soothed. These products will give you a refreshing start to the day, calm your senses throughout and end it with peace and tranquility.

A'kin products are available at Sasa stores in KK.